Gary Tomlin is an American soap opera actor, writer, producer and director.
Career
Tomlin's career on daytime serials began in 1973 when he was cast on CBS's Search for Tomorrow as Bruce Carson. He also made a guest appearance on "The Nightwalker" episode of the Waltons. He later appeared as Morgan Simpson on the NBC soap opera Another World in 1979. Both series were produced in New York City by Procter and Gamble Productions. Tomlin served as the co-head writer of NBC's Days of Our Lives, which tapes in Los Angeles, from 1980 to 1981. He then returned to New York as the head writer for Another World from 1984 to 1985. Tomlin next wrote scripts for the Los Angeles serial Santa Barbara from 1987 to 1990. At the same time, Tomlin directed episodes of Another World from 1987 to 1991, later directing on ABC's One Lifeto Live from 1992 to 1995. Tomlin became a producer in New York for All My Children from 1995 to 1996, next rising to Executive Producer for the Los Angeles-based NBC serial Sunset Beach from its debut in 1997 until its cancellation in 1999. He also directed episodes of the series during its run. Following Sunset Beach, Tomlin directed episodes of NBC's new series Passions in Los Angeles from 2000 until he was hired by ABC as the new Executive Producer of One Life To Live in January 2001, replacing Jill Farren Phelps. He also directed episodes of One Life to Live during his stint there. Tomlin's time at One Life to Live saw the return of 1980s villains Allison Perkins and Mitch Laurence in a storyline creating a secret history for events from 1986 and 1987, as well as a renewal of the on-again, off-again multiple personality storyline of character Victoria Lord, as played by multiple Emmy-winning actress Erika Slezak. The series won its first and only Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series for the 2001–2002 season. In late 2002, ABC announced that it was replacing Tomlin with Frank Valentini. Tomlin returned to directing Passions in 2003, leaving in December 2007 and replacing Ron Carlivati as head writer of One Life to Live during the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. In April 2012, Tomlin was named co-headwriter with Christopher Whitesell of Days of our Lives. He was previously co-executive producer, 2008–2011, before being let go from that position.
